There’s still something to watch for…

I’m not home today, but I’m at a computer where I can follow mlb.com’s Gameday. So I just clicked on it to get my afternoon baseball fix in a tad early. And my first thought was, “Oh, wouldn’t it be so fun if this lineup could knock Cliff Lee around?”

I don’t know if that will actually happen or not, but I was glad my first thought wasn’t, “Oh crap. Cliff Lee’s going to kick our tushes.” (Blame mlblog’s stringent obscenities filter for that “tushes,” not me.) And I realized to my surprise and satisfaction that even in this nightmare of a season, I’m still excited to watch baseball. I’m not quite sure why or how, but I still want to see the few wins our team will eke out, even as they endure some of the worst losses of all time.

I will still watch. I’ll hope our decimated lineup battles hard against some of the league’s best pitchers. I’ll hope we make everyone else’s race to the playoffs that much harder. I’ll hope Daniel Murphy impresses at first, that Parnell passes muster as a starter, that September call-ups give us something fun to imagine for the future.

Meanwhile, did you hear the one about Jeff Francoeur and the MRI? The Hospital for Special Surgery better check out that MRI machine. I’m guessing it does more than scan for injuries. Happy endings, perhaps? Mind-altering euphoria? Because something’s been drawing the Mets to that MRI machine like it’s the 40 virgins promised at the end of Jihad.

Hey Hospital for Special Surgery? Thinking for the future, maybe booby trap the MRI. Make it give electroshocks. Throw in a really bad smell. Let’s just make it less appealing, mmmkay?

Update 4:50 PM: Oh man. Add in a torn ligament for Frenchy and now Santana will miss his next start with elbow trouble and is scheduled to see Dr. Altchek. So about still finding some excitement for baseball? I think the 2 words I’m looking for might be “never mind.”

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